Boston Celtics exercise contract option on Avery Bradley

Well, it looks like former Longhorn point guard Avery Bradley’s career in the NBA will continue–at least for a little longer.

Bradley, drafted by the Boston Celtics with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft, played sparingly this past season for the Celtics, averaging only 5.2 minutes per game.

He averaged 1.7 points per game, and .4 assists per game, appearing in only 31 of the team’s 82 contests.

With veterans Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo sharing the majority of the minutes in Beantown, it’s hard to imagine how Bradley will eventually break into the Celtics rotation and be anything more than an emergency backup, but through this extension, perhaps Danny Ainge and the Celtics’ brass have greater plans in mind.

Many, including myself, believe that Bradley left the Forty Acres a year too soon. Perhaps he saw it as a good time to jump ship prior to the arrival of highly-touted point guard Cory Joseph–who incidentally has been drafted in the first-round as well after one season–and saw dollar signs.

It’s also somewhat odd that Bradley didn’t play any minutes in the NBDL this past season, given that the majority of NBA teams that have no intention of playing draftees typically allow them to develop their skills in the NBDL.

If Avery Bradley is a part of the Boston Celtics future, why would he have not played in the NBDL last season?

As against logic as this seems, his option would not have been picked up otherwise.

Look for Avery Bradley to have a greater role with the Celtics basketball team during the 2011-2012 season.